What did YOU do to your van today?

[campism]

Started loading up in preparation for a trip next week. I took every loose piece out a few years ago in order to do some interior maintenance and never put it back--never had to with the lockdown and the long list of house projects interfering, but with the minivan gone and conflicts in my wife's schedule I'll be doing a bachelor trip in the Westy to Kentucky and Tennessee for a week.

Made a list and started checking stuff off; Bentley, tools, some parts and other tools, sleeping bag, pillow, all the good stuff. I'm also finding more as I go. Hope I haven't lost my camping chops but I'll be near civilization so no big deal if I forget something.

This could be really good or really weird.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[BCE56]

"Made a list and started checking stuff off; Bentley, tools, some parts and other tools, sleeping bag, pillow, all the good stuff. I'm also finding more as I go. Hope I haven't lost my camping chops but I'll be near civilization so no big deal if I forget something.

This could be really good or really weird."

Plenty here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7930376#7930376
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=BCE56=

'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion

Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!"

[TomInAlaska]

Ticked several things off the to-do list including replace the flexible coupler discs in the steering, replaced the valve adjuster screws (and may have uncovered an issue with the engine , see my build thread), replaced the throttle body-manifold seal, sealed up a few potential vacuum leaks, made a spacer for the gas pedal so it wouldn't bind and bend at more than about 3/4 throttle (my floorboard was rotten under there and I did a quick and dirty fix so the contours and angles are not exactly factory). All in all a fairly productive work session.
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'73 Super Beetle (resto-mod/rally look, 1776)

'84 GL adventure van project (1.9L, 4speed) https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=755844&highlight=

[revolution337]

Worked on setting up my LiFePo4 battery monitor. Performing a calibration of the unit here.

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1982 Westfalia AEB 1.8t
2017 VW Golf Sportwagen
2001 Audi A4 4.2 V8 swapped
2000 BMW Z3 roadster
-Mark

[djkeev]

[BCE56]

Syncro trans is out to rebuilder, autopsy pending.
AAN code should have .85 4th gear but may be .77 installed by P.O. Anticipate changing to a lower ratio 4th gear to close the gap between 3rd and 4th for better performance on long uphill grades.
Clutch, flywheel and slave cylinder look good. Trans mount spacers look OK. Will replace T/O bearing JIC.
Will begin rebuilding shift linkage as I acquire parts.
Hi torque starter maybe probably.
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=BCE56=

'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion

Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!"

[campism]

Tweaked the camber on the left-rear wheel. Played around with a couple of security ideas for an upcoming trip and afterwards. More general trip prep.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[bobbyblack]

PO called this bus 'OldBlue' I sometimes do, but more often by its color code J2 ( actually LA5B [J2] )

Anyway, sat the winter in the old bus row... Here is the first start of this Spring. Not pretty. It is painfully obvious that the motor mounts are shot.



Link

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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[campism]

More pretrip stuff; replaced the hose to the overflow tank so the liquid will be drawn back into the pressure tank when it cools down. Checked the tire pressure on the spare (really low) and ran a wire for a special switch.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[revolution337]

Finished up installing my battery monitor for my LiFePo4 setup under the bench seat.

Went with this unit. It is a Hall effect style sensor unit, as opposed to running a shunt. This is slightly less accurate than a shunt setup, but easier to install and plenty accurate for my needs. (reads down to 0.1 amp). Just run the main aux battery ground cable through the sensor. It can read when may battery is charging or discharging, and keeps track of total available AH. All settings are customizable and able to be calibrated.

https://www.amazon.com/Charge-Discharge-DROK-Voltmeter-Watt-Hour-Multimeter/dp/B09P65M2YF?th=1

Hacked up a blank wall box cover and used a couple angle brackets to mount it directly above the battery under the rear seat. Added an on/off switch to be able to turn the unit off during long periods of inactivity.

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1982 Westfalia AEB 1.8t
2017 VW Golf Sportwagen
2001 Audi A4 4.2 V8 swapped
2000 BMW Z3 roadster
-Mark

[fxr]

I considered that - but it has a current measuring roof of 50A - and I can sometimes take 80A+ for some 10 minutes or so on occasion. I'd prefer it to a shunt, even if it is potentially slightly less accurate. If my current demands were less, I'd certainly use one.
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Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300

[revolution337]

[jlrftype7]

[campism]

Finished my trip prep, topping it off with a wash for the first time in months. I also installed a little something my bride whipped up a while back, a caddy to hang on the back of the closet. Lots of folks hang tools there but it made more sense to me for camping-specific use. Any time the two of us are together in the camper and we have the hatch open, it's usually to set up camp or strike camp. When camping we almost always use the hatch screen and the curtain for the front windows so this has a pocket for each.

Here's my door cleat. It's meant to keep someone from opening the front doors even if they break the windows. Clumsy, but it might work.

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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[do.dah]

Oooh,, I like the direction you're going with the door cleat. But,, I bet a good whack in the right direction might dislodge it.
I think I'm gonna consider doing something along the lines of,, a cable loop with a lock?
Overall, nice idea. Can't get in via worn out front door locks..

[campism]

[TomInAlaska]

I repaired the lower dash vent flaps and reconnected the cable. The bottom lever (for the fresh air vents?) still doesn't work so now I'm up to 3/4 of a fully functional dash ventilation system.

Given the whiff of coolant coming from the heater, and slight leak from the control valve I noticed when doing the rag joints in the steering, I'll be pulling the dash and redoing everything back there soon enough though.
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'73 Super Beetle (resto-mod/rally look, 1776)

'84 GL adventure van project (1.9L, 4speed) https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=755844&highlight=

[DehlerPEB]

Finally fixed my oil-pressure-holder.

3d-printed, as the "old" one was. Got dammaged while i had a transport and the stupid stuff bumped full force from behind into the printed mount.

Thanks god -- printing the part was easy + fast, but then the topic when to install it ... took now > 8 months until I finally kicked me into doing it.

File: Thingiverse 1832214
(and no, the pressure shown is not the "working" pressure, just a peak ...)


feels good

talk 2 you

peb
T3svx Dehler 2+2 Whitestar ... sonst nix!

[carbonspork]

Found this bodge the other day when coolant spilled out of the van.

Honestly ashamed I didn't notice it before, I just thought the PO had put two clamps on for security. Didn't even realize it's supposed to be one piece!

2 weeks later and a set of all new pipes arrived and installed today.

[jlrftype7]

Installed the All Season tires/rim set back on for the warm months. Will wash up the Winter Rims/Tires and store them away . Had to replace the Flexible Rubber Coupler at the Steering Rack, aka, the Rag Joint. It was installed in 2019 I think when I bought a set of 3 new ones, but only the one at the Str rack looked worn enough to replaced. Still that way 3 years later......
I had started to notice a noise in the Manual steering at full lock, so it was time to look it over while on the lift for the tire swap. Lots of small cracks in the rubber and the steel bushings inside the coupler were totally loose and free to move around in their now enlarged holes. Pacific Brand.

I know there have been some topics on these Couplers, also in the Bay Bus section, where I think they struggle even more than Vanagon owners to get correct, decent quality Couplers to match the old stock ones from VW.

On to other items now that those things have been squared away.
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto